What’s the thing you read when you want to remember how to write?
An hour or two of reading something new can get my gears in motion again — even if I’m not fond of what I’ve just read. Maybe it’s just the act of reading something that reminds me, if I don’t write, then nobody can read it. Sometimes I might go back and read something old of my own, something I was really happy with, and try to channel whatever energy had a hold of me that day.
What’s the best thing you read in June?
Who’s the Twitter follow that hasn’t let you down, since the beginning?
I’ve followed comedic writer Mollie Goodfellow for a number of years. Whether she’s posting jokes, memes, serious musings on what’s going on with her at the moment, or simmering fury at the state of the world, it doesn’t matter — it’s always interesting.
Tell us a way you’re excited to see people use Notes?
I’m looking forward to seeing people play around with formats, to find their niche, to create something of their own. A new platform always feels like a clean slate, and Notes has your potential audience already there, waiting to be informed, or entertained. What ideas that might have otherwise lain dormant will be coaxed out by Notes? It’ll be a good training ground, an evolving workshop maybe, for people ready to go beyond short, sharp soundbites and explore their ideas and feelings.
What’s a piece of writing advice that’s held true for you?
If I may, I’d like to dismantle one very common piece of advice I see, which I have always ignored and it’s done me the world of good. ‘Write every day,’ they say. Well, no. Don’t. Not if you don’t want to. It’s true you can’t edit a blank page, but if you fill one with something you feel you’re writing at gunpoint, you might grow to resent the process. If you’re inspired to write every day, then, yes, do it; if you’re on deadline and you need to get something down, then, yes, do it. But if you don’t feel like it, don’t.
Actually, I will give one piece of advice that works for me now — instead of making rash decisions about something you’ve written, leave it overnight. It might read back entirely differently the next day. (Also: angry emails — future you will thank you sitting on those for a night.)
And instead of deleting whole swathes of copy from your piece, dump it into a document called ‘Offcuts’ or ‘Spares’ or ‘Unused’ or whatever. Tuesday’s deletions might just be what Friday’s piece was waiting for all along. (This especially works with books, actually — gems that don’t fit into one story might well shine even brighter in another.)
How would you describe your relationship with your readers? (especially if it’s evolved)
I can only comment on it from my side, so they may see it completely differently. But I think they trust me. We’ve been through a lot together. What’s great about writing for a long time and developing your own voice is that your readers’ collective ear evolves alongside it. Eventually, your readers want to hear that voice talking about any number of things, not just the subjects you’re known for writing about. It’s a huge honour — and sometimes feels like quite a big responsibility — when someone says, ‘I was waiting to hear your take on this’ or ‘I read about X and immediately thought of you’.
Being able to make people laugh, and make them think, is an honour I don’t take lightly.
